Michael Dell Takes His Buyout Case to Employees

Michael Dell sent a message to Dell employees Monday apparently making his case for his intended buyout of the company with private equity firm Silver Lake Partners.

The memo summarizes selected points from a 274-page preliminary proxy statement to inform Dell shareholders of how a $24.4 billion buyout proposal was put together, and why it is the best of the alternatives the company's board had considered.

Dell warned in its proxy statement Friday that it would be dangerous to take on a lot of debt and remain a public company, given its worsening profit outlook, suggesting it views proposals from Blackstone Group and billionaire investor Carl Icahn as fraught with risk.